Govt. calls bids to buy 15 train engines
Sri Lanka is to purchase 15 locomotive engines to improve the railway service, which has been subjected to heavy criticism recently, for under performance and bureaucratic inefficiency.
SL Railways imported eight high tech French-built engines in 2002, which was a sham as only two of the engines are presently in running condition.
Minister of Transport, Dulles Alahapperuma, has been able to persuade the treasury to approve the necessary funds, nearly three billion rupees for the purchase of new locomotive engines, Ministry Secretary, Nihal Somaweera said.
“Tenders will close on May 9. The Ministry has already received 20 bids from China, France, Germany, UK, USA and Japan with the majority of bids originating from China,” Mr. Somaweera told Daily Mirror yesterday.
The ministry had initially allocated Rs. 3 billion for 15 engines and after May 9 the final bids would be referred to the Tender Evaluation Board.
Minister Alahapperuma would then submit the proposal for cabinet approval which follows the formal signing of agreements to supply the train engines, he said.
However, it could be as late as mid 2009 when Sri Lanka receives the new locomotive engines, as the new engines would be built according to the specifications supplied by the Sri Lanka Railways, Mr. Somaweera said.
By Sandun A. Jayasekera
Source: Daily Mirror
Tags: evaluation board, inefficiency, locomotive engines, necessary funds, new engines, railway service, rupees, sri lanka railways, tender evaluation, tenders, train engines
